


What the Gods Desire

by CynthiaK2014



Category: Troy (2004)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 16:15:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4186467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynthiaK2014/pseuds/CynthiaK2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hector is dead and Troy has sent someone to collect his body from Achilles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note: I went back to the original myth but the pictures in my head for the main characters are definitely from the movie. These characters belong to the ages and I think Homer might actually enjoy my version of the Trojan War. He was such a drama queen. For research for my War God series, I prefer my favorite dictionary of mythology. It has been and still is Who’s Who in Greek and Roman Mythology by David Kravitz. It’s a lovely source and well researched so any mistakes you find are all mine.
> 
> Originally written 31 May 2004 under my pseudonym Athea Holmes

********* Achilles ********* 

I waited for my secret visitor. My grief was still like a knife in my gut but the pain had dulled to a throb instead of the sharp twist it had been after Patroclus’ death. But today I had avenged him and killed the arrogant prince who’d taken his life. Dragging him behind my chariot felt good and I cared not for the opinion of the rest of this army. Menelaus, the sanctimonious hypocrite, had frowned and chastised me. 

But I didn’t give a fig for him and left him still mouthing off pious warnings about the damn gods and what they would do. I snorted and drained the goblet in my hand. Most of the gods chose sides like capricious children. You were favored one day only to be discarded the next. Ares rarely played those games and I honored him with my complete devotion. If he came to me with an order I’d obey it but I tried to stay away from the rest of the Olympians.

They were more trouble than they were worth. I poured myself more wine and felt my shield brother’s loss even more acutely. How often had we drunk from each other’s goblet? How often had he indulged me with yet one more pitcher of the sweet wine from our family’s vineyard? I closed my eyes tight against the tears and missed him even more. The lump in my throat was too big to allow me to do more than sip it.

How he would laugh if he were here. I hoped Hades had sent him on to the Elysian Fields. Beautiful Patroclus of the soft eyes and the dark hair, he’d left a gaping hole in my heart. I would probably carry it to my grave. Although if this was the best soldier the Trojans had to put forth against me, I wouldn’t be dying any time soon. I had more to worry about from my so called ‘allies’ than I did from anything the Trojans could throw at me.

“Sir, your visitor is here.” Eudorus stood holding back the flap that served as the entrance to my tent. He rolled his eyes at the figure shrouded in black and I saw my guest was almost as tall as me.

“Send him in and do not disturb us until I call.” My voice was harsh and from the corner of my eye, I saw a shiver tremble through the black silk of his cloak. He entered and had barely reached the fire pit before he dropped to his knees and pushed back the all enveloping hood.

“My Lord Achilles,” was all he said, his head bowed as if afraid to look at me.

Well, well, well, they sent a prince. Hector’s little brother, now the heir to the throne of Troy, seducer of Helen, the man who made Menelaus a cuckold. I’d seen him once on the ramparts of the great wall. He was beautiful then and in the warm light of the fire he truly looked touched by the gods. If I’d had the Golden Apple and had to choose, I’d definitely choose him. How pissed off would that have made the goddesses?

The first smile in days crossed my lips and made my next action even more surprising. “Princes shouldn’t kneel to generals, Prince Paris. Get up and sit over here.”

He raised his face to me and a look of bewilderment parted those soft lips and widened his dark eyes. “My lord?”

“Get up,” I waited for him to do so, watching him with sharp eyes. I had a sudden urge to see all of him without the shroud of silk. “Sit there.” I pointed to the wooden stool slightly off to one side where my scribe usually sat. He moved with the grace of a dancer and I had a brief vision of what he might look like naked. “Good boy, now drink something.”

I poured out the last of the wine and handed it to him. His dark eyes blinked at me and the touch of his fingers against mine sent an unexpected shiver through my arm. “Thank you, my lord.”

He was a quiet one, I mused. “Take a drink first then we’ll talk about why you’ve come.” His eyes dropped to the wine but he obediently took a sip. He clutched the goblet with both hands and I spied a tremor in his long fingers. They were as golden as the rest of the skin I could see and I itched to see more. “Take off the cloak; we’re going to be speaking for a while.”

Darting a quick look at me, he nodded and set the goblet aside before unclasping the emerald broach which held his cloak closed. The black silk pooled about him, revealing a simple sleeve-less white tunic edged in gold. His arms were bare and corded with muscle but not the muscles his older brother had. This one hadn’t trained until recently as a warrior and I wondered about that.

“Tell me about yourself, son of Priam. Are you glad your big brother is dead?” I asked him with a hard smile.

His eyes flashed at me. “No!” But his gaze couldn’t hold mine and it dropped to his lap again. “No, I am not glad. He was a good man and a kind brother.”

“He didn’t torment you as a child? Make your life a misery the way brothers do?” I was curious about some rumors I’d heard about this prince. 

Shaking his head, his gaze returned to me. “I did not know him as a child. My . . . father gave me away as an infant. I grew up far from here with a different family. I only met the prince two years ago. He was never anything but kind to me.”

‘Gave away’ rather than sent away, that was an interesting choice of words. “And the king, why did he give you up so young?” I finished my wine and got up to get another wineskin. His eyes followed my every move until I once more sat down.

“There was a prophecy saying I would destroy Troy.” His voice had a hopeless note in it that intrigued me. “If only he’d left me with my flock of sheep. I was a good shepherd but I’m not a very good prince.”

“You were happy being a shepherd?” I couldn’t help the note of incredulity.

His eyes flashed again and he sat up a little straighter. “I had a loving father and mother, a job Papa said I was good at and small dreams of someday maybe raising my own family. Of course, I was happy.”

I blinked and drank a little more. This little one had the heart of a lover not a warrior. No wonder Aphrodite won their little contest. “Did you not wonder why the Goddesses chose you to render judgment between them? If you were but a simple shepherd, why would they come to you?”

He sighed and picked up his goblet again, turning it around and around nervously. “I didn’t know. I still don’t know. I almost couldn’t believe them when first they appeared. But they just . . . sparkled onto the hill before me. They glowed golden and my eyes were dazzled by their beauty.” That wonder appeared again in his eyes and he looked at me with some of the awe he must have felt then. “When they asked me to choose, I tried to say no but they wouldn’t listen.”

“They rarely do,” I shrugged and watched him gulp at my temerity. “There isn’t a goddess out there who can be expected to sit down and reason like a man.”

“Really?” His voice had an endearing little squeak to it that made me want to smile. 

Those big brown eyes gazed at me with some of that same wonder he’d showed before. And that sent a shot of energy through my whole body. It had been a long time since I’d awed anybody. I gestured for him to continue and he coughed a little to get his voice back.

“Well, I looked at them. Each one was beautiful, each one wore something soft and pretty and each one looked at me as if I was the most important man in the whole world.”

“Yes, they do have a way of flattering a man into doing what they want.” I’d had brief encounters with all three of them. “If there wasn’t a discernable difference between them, why choose Aphrodite?”

He blushed and looked down into his wine. “She had kind eyes.” His gaze came back up to mine. “It felt like when she looked at me, my heart was bared to her. So I chose her and she offered me my heart’s desire.”

“Helen,” I nodded at him but was surprised when he shook his head ‘no’. “If not Helen then who . . . or what is your heart’s desire?” A tide of red flooded his face and neck. I had the sudden urge to strip off that tunic and see how far down his body it went. Reining it in, I reached over and poured some more wine into his goblet. This was turning out to be a most surprising conversation. “Take another drink and answer me.”

“I . . . I just wanted someone to love me and who I could love, too.” His voice was subdued, little more than a whisper. “Like Papa and Mama loved me before everything changed. It was just a week later when the soldiers came. Papa told me the whole story then, how I wasn’t really his son but a prince.” Those dark eyes still held a bewildered look, like a small child who’d lost something precious. “He said I had to go and live with them now, leave my flock and become the warrior I was born to be. Once I got here, King Priam destroyed everything I brought with me from home. He said they were worthless . . . to a prince.”

The pain of that betrayal was still fresh even two years later. Priam really was an arrogant fool. If he’d treated this lad with kindness and given him any affection at all, the prince would have given him his own love and loyalty. I was beginning to see that parenting was an art and neither of ours was a devotee inspired by the Muses. My mother had protected me but if she loved me, I couldn’t tell.

“What happened when you became the prince? Did Hector start training you?” I relaxed in my chair, feeling curious about this man, little more than a boy really.

He nodded and took another sip of wine, still lost in the memories of before. “I’m a good archer but I don’t know much about swords. He started training me in fighting while some of the king’s advisors gave me lessons in etiquette and diplomacy. Those lessons were harder than the mock battles. Battles just leave bruises, there’s so much more that can go wrong with manners.”

Caught by the chagrined note in his voice, I snorted a laugh and watched his eyes widen again. “I think you’re right, Paris. The first time I sat down to dinner with a king, I made a fool of myself. Nobody ever told me there were rules to follow about pretty much everything on the table.”

One corner of his lips tried to turn upwards but he fought it, taking another sip of wine to curb his desire to laugh. His shoulders had finally relaxed a little and I wondered what else I could get him to tell me. “What was your first diplomatic mission like, Paris?”

He gazed into the fire and the melancholy look came back. “Hector and I were sent to Sparta to negotiate a trade agreement.”

“Paris, your luck was either incredibly bad or you pissed off more than one god.” I could well believe Aphrodite landing him in it. Wait a minute; he said Helen wasn’t his heart’s desire. “Why Helen?”

He wouldn’t look at me, just shrugging and gripping his goblet so hard I could see his fingers whiten. “I . . . there’s something wrong with me, I guess.”

From what I could see, there wasn’t a single thing wrong with him except he was too far away. Every now and then a whiff of cedar wafted my direction and I wondered if he always smelled of that clean scent. “Tell me.”

Paris squirmed on the stool and darted a frightened look at me. “I . . . I don’t really enjoy women much. They’re so confusing.”

And I had a sudden epiphany. “You don’t want to love a woman but sometimes men make your heart beat faster and your body comes to life with a will of its own.”

A crimson tide of color washed through his skin and his whole body trembled. I don’t think he could have said a word if his life depended on it. The poor boy probably thought I was going to kill him for being such a pervert. He really was an innocent in the ways of the world.

“I can tell you haven’t talked to anyone about this. Not even Hector?” I quizzed him gently and he shook his head, his eyes big as a mouse eyeing a hungry cat. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling that way, Paris. Our laws do not forbid men from loving other men. Sparta has an entire phalanx of lovers, men who fight and love along side each other.”

“They do?” That little squeak was back and I smiled at him, causing him to blush all over again. The little itch to strip him naked and see how far it went was back but I forced it down with the control I’d learned early on.

“If Helen wasn’t your heart’s desire, why did you run away with her?” I came back to the puzzle and watched him pale, dropping his gaze again and gripping the goblet like a shield. And that’s when the gods gave me a startling vision. “She wasn’t your heart’s desire but she was . . . someone else’s - Hector’s.”

He looked like he’d seen the Medusa’s head, turned to rigid stone with his face wearing terror like a mask. Well, this was unexpected. How sad I couldn’t tell Menelaus he’d been avenged when I killed Hector. And what a tangled web was woven about these two armies. We were fighting for a lie. I swallowed more wine and thought about what this might mean for the war.

“Please, my lord, I beg you not to tell the others. My sister-in-law doesn’t know and my nephew, Astyanax, idolizes his father.” Paris flung himself to the rug by my feet, his hands clasped tightly before him and his voice shaking with tears unshed.

That clean scent was back, but stronger and I let my fingers brush a tear from his soft cheek. A damask rose could feel no softer. Brown eyes beseeched my compassion and triggered lust within me, the likes of which I’d never felt before. “Sweet Paris, you are but a pawn in a war of the gods.” His curly hair was soft under my touch. “I will keep this secret for you.” I stroked down the long, elegant neck to the edge of white linen on his broad shoulder. “We have many secrets, you and I. What is one more?”

His innocent eyes were confused and little lines crinkled between his eyes. But I noticed his breath had changed and the little pulse in his throat was beating faster than before. He was not immune to this growing attraction but I thought he didn’t know what to do about it. I knew what I wanted to do but for the first time in years I thought of another’s welfare before my own.

“I thank you, my Lord Achilles. If I could, I would shout to the gods of your generous soul.” His voice was but a whisper but it was fervent.

So I threw caution to the winds and cradled his beautiful face between my strong hands, tilting it up and leaning in to kiss those ruby red lips. They were soft and trembled a little under my gentle assault. His scent was stronger here and I breathed him in like the rose I’d compared him to earlier. But his lips had parted beneath mine and I had to taste him. Wine flavored and intoxicating, I drank him down slowly.

His little moan made my blood heat and one of my hands slipped down his throat, pushing the linen aside so I could stroke his golden skin with the tips of my callused fingers. He felt like silk and satin and the more I felt, the more I needed to feel. But his whimper brought me to my senses and I pulled far enough away to rest my forehead against his.

“I am not generous, Paris, not generous at all. We are sworn enemies. I killed your brother and intend to destroy your city. There can be no love between us.” My whisper sounded false even to my ears.

His breath caught and trembling shook his whole body. “M-m-my lord . . . I do not understand these feelings inside of me.”

Such an innocent and why wasn’t I pushing him away instead of stroking his cheek with my thumb? Somewhere Aphrodite was laughing herself sick at my idiocy. All I had to do was turn this into a rape and I could destroy the man before me. It was my turn to moan beneath my breath. I couldn’t do it. I could no more hurt this boy then I could foreswear my god.

Ares was laughing along with the goddess of love. 

“It’s called desire, little one.” I went back to touching him, smoothing the linen I wanted to rip from his body. “It’s rare between friends, let alone enemies. It means I want to strip you naked and take you to bed. I want to touch you everywhere, make you scream with pleasure and bury myself so deep within you I will never come out.”

“Oh-h-h-h,” the little sigh said so much. “I think . . . I think I want that, too.” Those brown eyes looked into mine with a little of the innocence burned away. “I do not think we are enemies, my lord. I could not feel such an aching need for an enemy.” His hand came up and touched my cheek gently. “Show me, my lord. Show me what desire means between two men who . . . like each other.”

I am not a weak man or at least I never thought of myself as weak. But this youth’s touch melted all my defenses and laid siege to my heart. Throwing caution aside, I stood, bringing him up with me. “Come to bed, little Paris. I will show you how two men love each other. We have two hours before the dawn.”

His smile shone brighter than the fire and I slid both arms about him to bring our bodies flush. Instant heat and I think we both moaned. Naked – I needed him naked now. Leading him through the second flap into the small sleeping room, I prepared to teach a lesson I thought neither of us would ever forget.

********* Aphrodite ********* 

“Yes!” I wiggled all over and stuck out my tongue at my husband. “See Hep’, I told you they were perfect for each other.”

“Yes, yes,” he said somewhat testily but I just smiled and let my strap drop off my shoulder. That always makes him catch his breath and I sat in his lap, making sure I didn’t put any weight on his damaged leg. 

“I believe you owe me a forfeit, Hep.” I whispered, blowing a little breath into his ear. “I think I’d like you to give me a bath.”

“A bath,” he already had that glazed look in his eyes. “I can do that, ‘Dite.”

“With bubbles,” I nibbled my way across his cheek. “And oil, lots of oil for my skin.”

“Your beautiful skin,” his voice was dreamy and he stood up holding me against his chest. “You little minx, you knew that was going to happen.”

I giggled and hugged him closer. “Of course I did, Hep’. I saw Paris’ heart’s desire after all. And the Fates came me a little peek into the future.” I sighed. “They don’t either one have much longer in this war and they both deserve a little happiness before it all gets taken away.”

“There’s always the Elysian Fields, sweetheart.” Hep’ moved us to my mountain retreat with a flicker of power.

“I’m working on something better,” I smiled smugly at him and he chuckled.

“My little schemer,” he kissed my pout away. “I believe you need bubbles and oil.”

I giggled again and whisked away our clothes. “And you, Hep, I always need you, too.”

He walked us both into the sunken tub and while I kissed him, I hoped Achilles and Paris had as good a time as I was going to have. I’d check in on them a little later. I’d have to have a little talk with Ares, too. All my couples are special but these lovers touched something inside my heart that made me want something a little extra for them.

I’m not the Goddess of Love for nothing. They’d find that out.

******************   
End of part one


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paris and Achilles move towards their fates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Why yes, this is a crossover with my War God series but takes place before the events in that series. What an inspiration this movie has been. What is it about glowing, sweaty men in armor?

********* Ares ********* 

Aphrodite was up to something. My cousin had been sneaking around the Greek encampment instead of Troy where she should have been. The last weekly meeting at Olympus, Athena had mentioned she’d seen her around Achilles’ tent. Maybe Hephaestus had asked her to sprinkle a little of that damn ‘happy’ dust, she’d gotten Asclepius to make up for her, over his protégé. 

I materialized in the outer section of his tent and was surprised not to find him there brooding over a goblet of wine. But the moans coming from the back made me smile. He was feeling better and that was good. Moving over to the flap, I waved my hand and made it transparent for me. The little honey he’d shared with Patroclus must be back, I thought for about a moment.

Whoa! Who knew Paris stripped so well? Golden skin, sparkling brown eyes, curly dark hair cascading over his shoulders, no wonder Achilles was all over him. They made an interesting contrast, lying on the pale sheets. Paris was on his back wearing Achilles like a blanket - blond hair flowing into dark, blue eyes staring into brown, mouths trying to seal themselves to the other. It was hotter than hot and I was suddenly jealous of my best warrior.

It had been decades since I’d gotten laid and I decided to take ‘Dite up on her offer. She’d had that slightly hormonal look in her eyes at the meeting. Our son Eros was in his teens now, maybe it was time to procreate again. Watching them caress each other, I had the feeling this was more than a fling for Paris and perhaps for Achilles as well. Eavesdropping on the soft murmurs, I indulged my voyeur side.

“Do that again, Achilles.” Paris arched beneath him while his lover nibbled on that long neck of his.

“Do what again, little one?” Achilles teased him and switched to licking his shoulder. “This?” He gently nudged his hips into the groin beneath him. “Or maybe this?” Strong fingers tweaked a nipple and made Paris shudder all the way down to his toes. “I think that’s a good spot.” He moved down a bit so he could gently bite the nub rising from the broad chest.

“Oh yes, there please.” Paris was incredibly polite and I realized just how young he really was. Doing the math quickly, I realized he was only 18 but he seemed curiously innocent for his age. I hadn’t paid much attention to him since the judgment except to feel an ‘ouch’ when I heard what the cousins had done to him. No man, be he mortal or immortal, deserved that kind of pressure. No matter who he chose, he was dead meat to the other two.

Choosing Aphrodite was an inspiration since I could see now Paris was more of a lover than a warrior. My eyes were drawn back to the action before me when a gasp came to my ears. Achilles was a master at more than combat, he’d swallowed the cock arcing up from the flat stomach. A remarkably pretty cock, all peaches and cream, I thought approvingly.

Maybe I should see if Apollo or Hades was feeling up to a little slap and tickle? Women are wonderful creatures and my cousins beautiful beyond compare but when you need cock, well . . . there’s just no substitute. I adjusted myself in my leather pants and wondered where they were right now.

“Achilles!” Paris was truly beautiful in his release, his torso twisting under the pair of knowledgeable hands tweaking his nipples and his face sweaty but glowing.

My warrior sucked hard and if the look on his face was any indication, Paris tasted as good as he looked. I really needed a little relief . . . and soon. My news could wait. It would take Achilles a while to start thinking with his head instead of his cock. The gleam in his eye told me that little Paris had more lessons to learn this night. Making sure I was still invisible, I summoned a chair and mentally asked one of the pharins to deliver a little snack.

Some roasted lamb, greek olives, some of those spinach savories, a little wine from the Elysian Fields, a tart or two and I’d be all set to watch the show. Putting out a force field to make sure we all stayed private took just a minute and I borrowed the energy from the two lovers before me. Aphrodite would never let me live it down if she knew I agreed with her about the kind of energy lovers gave out. Prime stuff if not as potent as the dark power I absorbed from a battlefield.

And these two gave off a very heady glow of power and . . . love. Sipping my wine, I settled in to watch what happened next.

********* Achilles ********* 

Paris tasted of briny olives and the sea. Sucking gently now, I slowly let him fall from my lips. He was panting and quivering under my hands and I made sure I gentled all my touches. This man was made for pleasure, not pain and I felt protective of his innocence. That said, I still needed to bury myself inside of him. 

Shockingly, I was actually contemplating guarding him from me and my desires. How in Tartarus had it come to this? My heart twinged while watching dazed brown eyes clear and gaze into mine. Beauty comes in many forms and his was the pinnacle. But the world is not kind to true beauty and I feared for both Paris and Helen. How could this war bring any happy endings to either of them?

“I did not know a mouth could give such pleasure.” Paris’ hands cradled my face and I turned my head just far enough to kiss his palm. “Is this how men make love?”

I slid up and over his warm body, his limbs curling around me instinctively. “It is but one way, there are many others. Did you like it?”

Brown eyes gleamed and a wide smile stretched across his face. “Oh yes, my lord, I liked it very much. May I try to give you something in return?”

Chuckling, I kissed him and shared his taste with him. He had a puzzled look in his eyes when we parted. “That is what you taste like. All men taste a little different.”

He chortled and wiggled beneath me, giving my poor rigid cock a serious tweak. “Then I wish to taste you and see how different we are.”

I rolled until he was on top of me, his warm weight like the finest of wool spun blankets. “Taste away, little one.”

He kissed me again and while I was still savoring the flavor, he began to kiss down my throat to my chest. “You’re so sculpted here.” Paris nuzzled one of my nipples and it peaked hard for him. “I didn’t know men were so sensitive.” He licked it before suckling gently.

My hands carded through his soft curls. “Men are different here as well. Bite gently, I like the sensation.”

He shot me a hesitant glance then bit down just enough to make me arch up into the feeling. I have to admit to loving a little pain now and then. He smiled and moved to bite the other one while my cock leaked a little more for him. Feeling the moisture, Paris slid down to kneel between my legs and hesitantly took my rigid shaft in hand. The look of studious intent made me smile and when he looked up to see it, he smiled back.

“You are beautiful here, Achilles.” Both hands wrapped around me and slid up and down. “So long and straight and thick,” leaning down, he tentatively licked away a bead of liquid from the long slit. I shuddered all the way down to my toes and he checked at once to make sure he hadn’t hurt me.

“I’m glad you like it. I’m pretty fond of it myself.” I grinned down at the dark head now cat-licking his way around my crown. “And you’re a quick learner, little Paris.”

Breathing a hot breath onto my crown, he grinned back at me. “Some lessons are desired and some teachers superb in their instruction.”

And with no more ado, he stretched wide to engulf my crown. A quick little rake of his teeth made me hiss but then like I said, I enjoy a little pain with my loving. Backing away an inch, he apologized. “Sorry, my lord, how do you avoid that when you’re so big?”

Ah, he was good for a man’s ego, this young lover. “Stretching your lips over your teeth works pretty well. I enjoyed it though. It’s the kind of quickly-over-pain that leaves you wanting more.”

He thought about that for a long moment while he practiced driving me insane with the too light suction. He was still trying to get more of me inside his hot, wet mouth when my patience broke and I tickled his cheek to get his attention. Crooking my finger, I brought him up to my lips for another passionate kiss. Rolling back to our original position, I took the pressure off my rigid cock and felt his start to harden again.

Youth is a wonderful thing. Reaching a long arm for the jar of oil I kept by my pallet, I dipped two fingers in already anticipating what his hot, tight depths would feel like. “Paris, I’m going to need you to relax for me now. This is going to feel very odd and there will be some pain as well. But if I do this right, the pain will be fleeting and the pleasure more than good.”

His smile lit the whole room and those long-fingered hands came up to stroke my shoulders. “Teach me how to please you, my lord. I will gladly endure a moment’s pain for the joy you bring me.”

This little one was a gift from Aphrodite and I was going to have to sacrifice something to her in thanks. Ares would never miss it.

//Don’t be too sure of that, Achilles. But I agree for once, Aphrodite will be insufferably smug. Still, she is right about this little prince, he’s a lover not a warrior.// 

The voice in my head was Ares and made me pause for a moment but the chuckle decided me. If Ares knew what I was doing, he obviously approved or he’d be ordering me to quit and get back to the business of war. So with my god’s laughter ringing in my ears, I settled in to make love to my prince.

Slick fingers fondled his small neat ball sack and I watched a shiver ripple through his body. He panted his feelings aloud. “I never knew they were so sensitive except for the pain when they’re pinched or hit.”

Sliding behind his balls to the sensitive area that guarded his entrance, I made sure I pressed hard enough to not tickle. “They’re our most vulnerable spot, we men. All a woman needs to do is kick us in the balls and we’ll fold up like a tunic in the wash.”

He moved restlessly at the unfamiliar caress. “Oh, that feels good, my lord.” Then when I dipped a finger through the tight ring of muscle, his eyes widened and his voice rose to that endearing squeak. “That’s where . . . where you’ll . . . enter me, Achilles?” I slid it in all the way to the knuckle and he gripped my shoulders. “Am I . . . big enough?”

I leaned in to kiss him, wiggling my finger in the snug sheath and searching for the small bump that would hopefully take his mind off the pain. His lips parted for me immediately and I delighted in his eager surrender. When we had to breathe, I answered him. 

“Once I’ve stretched you some more, I’ll fit very well inside of you.” I came out and watched his shoulders relax while his cheeks flushed. “You’ll need to take three fingers before I can even think of sliding in.”

He eyed my cock, now dribbling a little in anticipation of where he was going next. “I trust you, my lord.” I teased the tiny hole and he wiggled all over. Oh yes, he would prove to be a most generous sheath to my sword. Easing in two fingers, I waited out his instinctual tightening. “I see . . . what you mean . . . about pain and pleasure.”

I tried a tiny finger wiggle and he clamped down on me like a carver’s vise. Dear Fields, he was tight. So I distracted him with a quick stroke of his slightly wilting cock. That gave him a start and he voluntarily loosened with a little upstroke of his hips. I rewarded him with a tighter grip and a quick slide in of both fingers. He was tighter than Midas’ treasury lock but his pleasure gland was ready to be pleased so I made sure I stroked it often.

Paris moaned a little and licked those kissable lips as if he was parched for thirst. That was irresistible and I leaned in to lick his glowing face. He giggled a little and joined in to return the caress. While we were trading tongues, he was loosening up nicely. I came back out and dipped three fingers in the oil before coming back to his groin. I quickly slicked up his cock and he moaned at the feel of oil trickling down to his balls.

“Oh more, my lord, please more.” His eyes looked fevered. “I feel so empty without you inside of me.”

I kissed him hard for that plea and gripped him tightly before thrusting all three fingers through the virgin muscle. He groaned and gripped my shoulders hard enough to leave bruises. Panting, he moved his head back and forth against the sheets, his eyes screwed tight against the pain. And there was pain - that was inevitable.

“Too much, little Paris?” I spoke gently and watched his eyes flutter open. The determined look was another shot to my inflated ego.

“Never too much, Achilles, it’s not so bad now.” He spoke fiercely. “You promised to bury yourself so deep inside of me, you’d never leave. I want that, too.”

I didn’t deserve this love but I wasn’t going to turn it down. “Then take deep breaths for me and push out when I tell you to.” I slid out of him and dipped more oil before slicking my rigid cock. He pulsed in my hand like a live thing and when I looked up to see Paris eyeing him with a hungry gaze, I almost lost control right there and then. But I learned self-denial at an early age and so I avoided spending myself prematurely.

“We need to slightly change positions, little one, for this first time.” I stroked both hands over his flat stomach to his hips before sliding one down his bent leg to bring it over to rest with his other. Stilling his disappointed protest with my lips, I whispered for him to face away from me. “It will be easier on both of us and I can stroke your pretty cock while I’m deep inside of you.”

He shivered all over but did as I asked. Sliding one of my legs between his, I spread his lower cheeks while my cock eagerly nudged that small hole glistening with oil. He caught his breath and I decided on a fast entrance so the pain was over and done with. “Breathe out for me, little love, and push back against me. I’ll try to be quick.”

Nodding, he reached back a hand to hold onto my arm. And the moment was now, I thrust hard and deep. Snug, tight, hotter than Tartarus, I panted into his shoulder while he moaned. Cradling him in my arms, I petted his stomach with both hands. “That is the worst moment, truly, little love.”

“It’s not . . . so bad.” He husked out through teeth clenched against the pain.

“Liar,” I kissed his shoulder and slid up to tweak a pert nipple. “It hurts a great deal but I promise it will get better.”

With a little catch in his breath, he turned his head to see me and I obligingly rose up on one elbow so he didn’t get a crick in his neck. Two tear tracks streaked his cheeks and I licked one away while he smiled shakily up at me. “I will hold you to that promise, Achilles. Does it feel good to you?”

“I have never felt so good, little one. Thank you for this precious gift, Paris.” I kissed his lips and felt his tongue immediately reach for mine. I was addicted to his sweet taste and knew in that moment there would be no other for me however long I lived. 

But the urge to move was growing imperative so I broke away from those glistening lips and tentatively moved my hips an inch forward then back. Paris gasped my name and I began the gentle rocking, which would heat both of us to boiling. Soft murmurs passed between us while I quickened my thrusts, deepening my strokes until I was hitting his pleasure spot with every pass. 

He moaned my name over and over while his cock hardened to iron in my hand. I kissed every bit of skin I could reach until I felt him tighten on me like that vise I’d compared him to earlier. He erupted in my hand and made me release, drawing my climax into his burning depths.

We were both panting when at last we subsided. I held him tight against me and wondered how I’d ever be able to sleep without him again. From being a far off prince behind the golden walls of Troy, he’d moved into my heart and soul with his solid presence. What in Tartarus was I going to do now? I wanted him by my side just like he was now.

But I couldn’t just leave this war nor could I run away with him to some deserted isle. We both had our duties to perform and the gods to appease. Perhaps Aphrodite would intercede for us with the others? I stroked the golden skin beneath my hands and licked the bite I’d inflicted on his shapely shoulder when I came.

“I do not wish to leave you, Achilles.” Paris had obviously been paralleling my thoughts. “What can we do now? I must return my brother’s body to the king and try to console both his wife and his lover.”

“I know, little one.” Gently I eased from his depths although he clenched around me as if begging me to stay. Turning him onto his back, I brushed back the sweaty curls from his sweet face. “I will petition Ares and Aphrodite to aid us. Perhaps they will take pity on a pair of love-sick soldiers.”

His smile gleamed white and his hands stroked through my tangled hair, combing through it like the very best kind of brush. “I will ask them on bended knee if needed, sacrifice a fatted calf and offer them my eternal devotion. But what if we meet on the field of battle?”

“We will not, my Paris.” I held him close and kissed him hard, declaring silently to any god within earshot that I would not fight this man. Ever.

//It shall not come to that, my friend. Dite and I will work on a solution to this problem, I promise. Dawn is only a short few moments away.//

Ares’ voice tingled through my head and I clutched my prince to me. “It’s time for us to part, little love. Dawn is not far away and you must take your brother’s body back to Troy before anyone knows you’re here.”

He nodded silently, tears in the deep brown eyes. Slowly we parted to find our clothes tangled together on the floor beside my sleeping pallet. We could not forbear helping each other to dress so it took a little longer than it should have but all too soon I was clasping shut the emerald brooch on his cloak and drawing up the hood to hide his face from my compatriots.

One last kiss and he was gone. Standing in the doorway of my tent, I watched the small donkey cart with the body of my greatest enemy and the man who now held my heart rumble out of the camp. Somehow, someway, I would find him again and when I did, we would not ever part. My word as a warrior on it.

********* Apollo ********* 

I cradled my son’s body and wept for what might have been his future if this war had never begun. Sweet Tenes was the result of a short tryst from twenty years before and he’d gotten my talent for the lyre instead of my skill with a sword. His music had been put aside when war was declared and he should have never been on the battlefield in the first place.

I know death is inevitable even for the half-children of a god but not so soon. Not when his promise would die unfilled. Achilles would pay, I promised my son with a soft kiss to each eyelid. Laying him back down on his funeral bier, I brought down a ray of sun to light the dry branches of cedar before stepping back to watch dry-eyed while he burned.

Achilles would most assuredly pay.

*****************************   
The end of part two


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apollo takes his revenge but all is not lost if Dite and Ares can get Hades to agree to a slight change.

********* Aphrodite ********* 

I got back from my hubby’s forge to find Apollo stony silent and Ares giving me the come-hither eye. Well, I should have gone after Appy to find out what was wrong but I have to admit that sexy Ares got my attention first. And when the God of War has your attention, he has it all. My hormones were singing sweetly by the time he finished making love to me for the fourth time.

“Not that I mind, sweetie, but what got you so hot and bothered?” I was a sweaty mess but I didn’t have the energy to move more than my lips.

Ares chuckled and rolled so I lay atop him. Still embedded in me, I felt a little spark deep inside. One of his little guys was about to make me very, very happy. Hep understood my need for another child but since he’s sterile, he tries not to mind when I get a donation from one of his brothers. Eros was sixteen now and I’ve known for a while I was ready to have another baby.

“You set Achilles and Paris up, didn’t you?” His big hands petted my back all the way down to my tush and I wiggled a little to see if he was still hard enough for another round.

Then my mind caught up to what he said and I froze. Blinking down at him, I wondered what to say. But something told me he already knew so I confessed. “When Paris chose me, I saw his heart’s desire and it wasn’t Helen. He does like blonds but only the male variety. Poor Achilles was mourning Patroclus and Paris doesn’t have much time left, if Daddy is right.”

Ares frowned. “Dad told you that?”

I nodded, folding my arms on his chest so I could rest my chin without squashing my breasts too much. “He told me over a week ago that Paris wouldn’t survive the war. I don’t know if he’s planning something or Hera is. My guess is it’s the old bat who’s in a real hissy fit about this war. If she’d really *look* at Paris and Helen she’d know the baby the Queen is carrying is Hector’s, not his little brother’s.”

“Damn!” Ares looked seriously angry. “Paris is just a kid and he’s fallen in love for the first time.”

“And you know this, how?” I glared at him and he almost but not quite blushed. That’s when he told me what he’d witnessed two nights back. It was my turn to swear. I was hoping to watch beautiful Paris lose his virginity to sexy Achilles.

But just showing me their two hour love-making session fired us both up again and I found myself on my hands and knees with Ares planted solidly in my backside while I played Paris’ role and he played the golden warrior. I do adore making love with a god who knows what he’s doing. We’d just collapsed in a heap when both our temple alarms went off.

Dragging ourselves apart, we did a quick cleanup and dashed to the supplicants who needed us. Appearing in front of my altar, I found a sobbing Paris rocking to and fro at the foot of the steps. This wasn’t a lover’s quarrel, I decided with a cold chill running up my spine. Descending to his side, I gathered him into a hug. He was too far gone to even jump, just kept saying over and over, ‘no, no, no’.

“Sweet Paris . . . dear Paris . . . slow down and tell me what’s wrong.” I rocked him slowly and gradually his sobs began to subside.

“I’ve killed him.” He finally said. “I was shooting arrows towards the army when one changed direction. I swear I didn’t shoot at him, I didn’t.”

“Who was hit, Paris? Tell me who it was.” I had a real bad feeling about this.

“He was leaving the field in his chariot and I shot over him, I swear it.” His eyes beseeched mine to believe him.

“I know you did, sweetheart. You wouldn’t hurt Achilles. I know that.” I stroked his face and watched it crumple into pain.

“It changed direction and hit his heel. But he cried out and fell on the floor of his chariot. I watched them lift him from it and he was convulsing so hard they couldn’t hold onto him.” His eyes were blank with shock and he was shivering all over. “I don’t poison my arrows, I don’t.”

Dear gods and goddesses, this was bad. “I know you don’t, sweet Paris.”

A small flicker of life appeared in his tear-drenched brown eyes. “That’s what he called me once. Sweet Paris – I loved him so much. What if I truly have killed him?”

“You didn’t, Prince Paris. Sleep now and wake refreshed when I return.” I put him out quickly and shifted him to the little room behind my altar. I’m a lot stronger than I look. Heading up to Olympus, I changed clothes and went looking for answers. But if Achilles was really dead, I wasn’t sure what I could do to help these doomed lovers.

********* Achilles ********* 

I burned everywhere. Whatever had been on that arrow, it was working quickly. Mother had always told me I should never wear sandals and it appears she knew what she was talking about. The second set of convulsions had just passed and Eudorus was sponging my forehead with a cool wet cloth.

He was weeping and that was never a good sign. From out of thin air, Ares appeared at the foot of my sleeping pallet. “Achilles, I’m sorry.”

Not a good sign at all, when the gods apologize. With a wave of his hand, he froze my friend then knelt by me. “Two days ago you killed a young lad named Tenes. He was Apollo’s son by a Trojan woman. Apollo poisoned one of Paris’ arrows then made sure it got deflected to the one spot where it would enter you.”

“D-d-d-damn, this w-w-will hurt-t-t, P-p-paris.” All I could think of was my tender hearted lover of a single night.

“Aphrodite is taking care of him but you’re right. He’s young and in love.” The dark god looked almost apologetic when he took my hand.

“P-p-protect him . . . p-p-please, Ares.” Another wave of pain crashed over me and it almost carried me away. But I fought to stay a moment more.

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure he doesn’t suffer.” Those dark eyes looked into mine and I nodded.

There was no more strength left to me. The last thing I heard before falling into darkness was Ares’ voice calling out to his brother. “Hades! I need a favor.”

Then I spiraled away from the pain and entered the black night.

********* Hades ********* 

It was a close call as to who got to me first. Aphrodite and Ares appeared within a heartbeat of each other, both calling my name. Well, well, well, it looked like I was about to get lucky. Lately I’d been overworked with all the dead being generated by the Trojan War. If I played my cards right, I could end up making out like a bandit.

“What is it now?” I put enough of my true exhaustion into my voice for it to come through loud and clear. “No I’m not letting anybody out alive. Hercules used up his last favor on Iolaus so I’m already down by one.”

“Hades,” Aphrodite was wearing that adorable ‘sweet little me’ look that hadn’t fooled me in a millennia. “I don’t really need that kind of favor. More like a . . .” she looked over at Ares and gave that little helpless shrug that always turned both my nephews to putty.

“Hades, we’d like to take one of the newly dead and transport him somewhere else.” The god of war rubbed his cheek and looked almost as weary as I felt. “Achilles just died from an arrow shot by Prince Paris of the Trojans.”

I do know who everyone is, damn it. So I narrowed my eyes and split a harsh look between them. “Achilles is destined for the Elysian Fields and you both know it. It doesn’t matter who killed him.”

“Yeah it does, Hades.” Aphrodite sighed and took my hand in both of hers. “He is Paris’ first and last love. I don’t know where you were planning to put Paris when he dies but Daddy says that will be soon.”

”Paris is an oath-breaker and destined for that section of Tartarus.” Nothing she said could persuade me otherwise.

“He didn’t steal Helen, Hector did.” She said simply.

All right, that might change my opinion. “Prove it.”

So through her touch I watched Helen and Hector take one look and fall into lust while Paris stood by in shock and fear. All these years and no one ever knew but the three of them. It rocked me back on my heels and I found myself with an armful of Dite while she cried gently on my shoulder.

“There, there, Dite, I’ll put them both together. It’s going to be difficult though. They’re destined for different sections.” I cast a look at Ares and he smiled slowly. Oh that was an evil look if I ever saw one.

“What about the White Isle? It’s outside the main Fields. It’s empty at the moment. The two of them would have plenty of room to keep a flock of sheep for Paris and provide them with enough room to make love for Achilles.” One of his hands reached out to stroke my hair. “I could give you a little incentive while you’re waiting for Paris.”

“*We* could give you a great big incentive to bend the rules a little.” Dite wiggled against my groin and Little Death came to attention immediately. “Two for one and the next time they make love,” here she aimed a mock glare at Ares, “we’ll all three go to watch them.”

I had to know more about the story behind that promise. But the bells were ringing and Charon’s call echoed through the caverns of my realm. “I’ll take you both up on that promise. Let me take care of this boatload of dead and then I’ll meet you on the White Isle.”

Aphrodite wiggled all over and kissed me hard. While my head was still reeling, she flashed away and Ares laid the hottest kiss I’d felt in centuries on my lips. They were still tingling when he left in a shower of golden sparks. Damn, it really was my lucky day. I had to duck my head in a basin of cold water to get control of myself again. Maybe this war wasn’t as bad as I’d originally thought.

********* Paris ********* 

It was true. 

Achilles was dead and it was my arrow that killed him. 

I wanted to die.

Father was finally proud of me and I couldn’t care less. How ironic that killing was more highly valued than loving. Aphrodite had told me she was sorry but Achilles was already in the Fields.

I hoped he was happy there. Probably he was making love with his cousin and planning eternity with him. I shouldn’t be jealous but I was. I’d known I wasn’t good enough for him when he sent me away. But maybe I could end this war and get myself killed at the same time.

So I challenged Menelaus to a one-on-one duel with swords. Helen tried to dissuade me but I listened with deaf ears. I knew he was really good at swordplay. If his ego was well enough assuaged by killing me, maybe he’d go away and leave Troy alone.

I didn’t really care one way or the other but I know my brother would like it if his Helen and their unborn baby were safe. He loved his wife, Andromache, too so perhaps he’d sleep easier if I could secure their safety. For once, King Priam approved of my actions. He thought I was protecting Troy’s honor and I let him think that while I prepared to go get killed.

It was a hot day when I left the walls of Troy and strode out onto the open plain. Menelaus looked worn around the edges. I felt sorry for him; it couldn’t have been easy watching his beautiful young wife fall in love with another. So I apologized for the pain and suffering I’d put him through. He looked a little surprised at my apology but then we were trading blows and I found it’s harder to throw a fight than it looks.

I thought I’d just let him stab me but all that training Hector put me through kept me fighting instead of giving up. I was so hopeless I couldn’t even get myself killed on purpose. Then out of nowhere, an arrow arced down into my back and I stumbled to my knees. It had sunk deep and I felt a burning sensation tingle through me.

Was this what my beloved Achilles had felt when my arrow pierced him? Menelaus held me in his arms and I heard him telling me that he would punish the one who’d shot me. I laughed weakly and bade him reward him instead. At last I would be free of all those expectations I couldn’t live up to.

I wondered in the midst of the searing pain if Hades needed a shepherd in the Underworld. Another convulsion and then I lifted free of the burning heat and passed into darkness.

********* Achilles ********* 

I awoke under a leafy tree. The sound of water falling nearby confused me for a moment and I slowly sat up. I was clothed in a clean white tunic but I looked whole as I turned my hands this way and that. I felt like I was in one piece but something was missing. Getting up, I walked through the lush grass while a vision of a heated desert crossed my eyes.

Heat . . . burning . . . pain . . . all these sensations flooded my mind while I stumbled at the edge of a blue pool of water and fell to my knees.

A war, I was a warrior in a war but now I was here.

Where in Hades was here? I looked around at the low-hanging trees of silver and green leaves. The word Fields popped into my mind and I said it out loud as if that would help. “Fields. I’m somewhere called the fields.”

Dipping my hands in the water, I splashed my face and drank thirstily from cupped palms. It felt wonderful but as the water cleared, I saw my reflection and just like that, my memory returned. “I’m Achilles.”

It felt good to remember my name but there was something else I should be remembering. But what it was escaped me for the moment. Getting up again, I walked up the hill to find the spring from which this waterfall and pool was born. The path was broad and not so steep I was winded when I reached the top. A small cave awaited me almost at the summit.

Ducking my head, I entered a large room filled with comfortable looking furniture and a fire pit with a fire already burning. The table had a tray upon it filled with delicious food and I sat down to eat while trying to remember what I’d forgotten. Or maybe it was a ‘who’ I’d lost? Suddenly a sweet face surrounded by curly dark hair flashed across my mind’s eye.

“Paris, his name is Paris.” I smiled in relief. But why wasn’t he here with me? There was something that happened to separate us but I couldn’t remember what it was. I drank some water from a goblet on the table and cudgeled my mind to bring back what was lost. Suddenly I was tired, more tired than I’d been in a very long time. The wide low bed in the corner looked comfortable and I staggered over to it to sink down onto soft sheets and a woolen blanket.

Maybe I’d remember more when I awoke.

*** 

Waking felt good because what was missing had been found. I awoke with my arms around my lover, his body held close and his head nestled into my shoulder. I took a deep breath and held in his clean cedar scent while my hands stroked his broad shoulders. Now it felt right, now I could enjoy where ever this place was. One day I might remember more but for the moment, I had all I needed in my arms.

He stirred and I nuzzled a kiss to the soft skin at his temple. “Hm-m-m, Achilles.”

“Good morning, sleepy head.” I said softly and he smiled against my skin.

We were naked and I wondered how that had happened but I didn’t really care. It just meant I could feel all of his silky skin against me.

“My love,” he sighed and raised his head to kiss me.

We tasted good together and I drank him down like a fine wine. When we broke apart to breathe, he gazed into my eyes with a look of such delight. “I love you, Achilles. But where are we?”

”I don’t know, Paris. I woke up down below, walked up here and found this cozy place.” I brushed the curls off his forehead and kissed the tip of his nose. “I think it’s our new home.”

He nodded slowly and wrinkled his forehead in deep thought. “I remember being really hot and sad. I don’t think I liked where I was before.”

“Well, if we weren’t together then I didn’t like it either.” I ran my hands down his back and he arched into me, our groins rubbing together in a very interesting manner. “Do that again, little love.”

He wiggled and I slipped a hand between us to capture both our shafts. That felt wonderful and I kissed him while we thrust gently together. Slowly we kissed and touched, wringing every bit of pleasure from our loving until we released against each other with a sigh of each other’s name.

I think we dozed a while before we arose from our bed to find fresh food on the table. We ate naked because we could and after we finished, we followed the sound of bubbling water to a second cave where a hot spring steamed among light-filled walls of crystal. Paris was even more beautiful when he was wet, his hair slicked back and water beaded on his lovely face.

When I told him so, he laughed and told me I was the beautiful one with the sun shining on my hair and reflecting from my blue eyes. We agreed we were both the most beautiful men in this timeless place while I wondered if we were the only two people here. Finishing our bath, we walked hand in hand down the trail to the place where I first woke up. The baaing of sheep in the distance made his face light up and we followed the sound to a meadow where thirty ewes and lambs grazed. 

I watched him move among them and loved his eagerness to watch over this flock. I sat on a stone at the edge of a great forest and closed my eyes to bask in the sun. Where ever we were didn’t matter so long as we could stay together. With only a whisper of sound, I felt him return to my side, sliding his arms around me and pressing a loving kiss to my lips.

“We shall have fine wool garments, my love when it’s time to shear these sheep.”

“And lamb for the table?” I asked him with a smile and watched him pout.

“Only if we must, Achilles, I think I’ve had enough of death.” He shivered and I held him close.

“I agree. Only if we need to but if our food keeps arriving on the table we shouldn’t need to. Perhaps we can offer the wool to the gods in return for our sustenance.” I offered in return and he beamed at me.

“That will be perfect. Aphrodite will like that especially if I experiment with the herbal dyes I’d started to learn about before I had to leave my family.” His brow wrinkled a little at that thought and I kissed it away.

Whatever it was could stay in the past. We had a bright new future to prepare for.

********* Hades ********* 

I was limp, I was so tired. Being the middle of a sandwich consisting of Aphrodite and Ares is exhausting. I was still buried in the goddess of love while the god of war blanketed my back, still imbedded in me. I was going to sleep for a century after they left.

“Thanks, Hades.” Ares whispered in my ear before biting the earlobe. “We’ll have to do this again sometime.”

“Later, Ares, much, much later,” I sighed and started to disentangle myself from the gently snoring goddess. That pushed me back on the Little God of War, which is not so little, thank you very much. “Let me recover from this bout first.”

He snickered, almost tenderly pulling free of me and collapsing on the wide bed we’d thoroughly trashed. “Say about ten years from now.”

I chuckled and bent to kiss him quickly. “That’s about right. How about we leave Sleeping Beauty here and go take a quick dip in the Styx?”

He stretched, all those muscles sleek and sinister in the candlelight. “Good idea, Hades. She can find us when she wakes up. Although she’ll probably want bubbles.”

I shuddered at the thought of pink bubbles frothing in the dark river Styx. “Over my dead body.”

“Don’t be too sure of that, lover.” The dulcet tones warned us she was awake. “Did someone mention a bath?”

Giving her a hand out of the bed, I swatted her behind and then picked her up to walk down to the river. I definitely felt younger since we’d gotten together. Watching Paris and Achilles settle down in bucolic bliss made me want someone of my own to love. I hadn’t had that urge in centuries. Aphrodite and Ares weren’t the ones although I’d never turn them away.

Maybe I should start dating or something, I mused while dropping Aphrodite in the river and listening to her shriek. Ares pushed me in before jumping in himself. Maybe I’d get some pointers for later. That said, I transported in some soap and prepared to dunk the god of war. For his own good, of course. Aphrodite would help me do it, I was sure.

This was the best bargain I’d made in years. And the White Isle couple looked to be an inspiration for some time to come. Smiling, I did my best imitation of a shark, coming up under Dite and making her shriek some more. Life was good. Maybe the Trojan War hadn’t turned out so bad after all.

*************************   
The end of the story


End file.
